Dress for success. Your attire should reflect your professionalism and also be safe for entering and inspecting attics and crawl spaces. Close toed shoes or boots (steel toes may be required for commercial inspections) should be worn as well as shoe coverings to protect the customers flooring. Pants (jeans) are a must, but dress pants might be flammable. T-shirts with your logo or the company you work for, are okay, but a button up shirt with a collar fits better (no loose clothing) and looks sharp.
I have learned in this InterNACHI online course that it is important to make sure that the duck work is properly installed with no air leaks and well insulated . This will also help with the energy efficiency of the home.
The article I chose was Insulation R-Value in this article it discusses how R value is calculated for insulation. It also points out that attain the certain R value of insulation it has to installed in proper thickness and without gaps.
In photo is a downward staircase with guard rail around the top portion of stairs. The Owner has installed a mesh lining around guard rail portion to question if the spacing of ballasters is greater than 4 inches, which would be called out in an inspection report.
During an inspection of the attic I found that all ventilation had either been closed off or neglected entirely. The moisture in the attic was elevated enough for a mold like substance to grow through out the entirety of the under side of the roofing structure. Testing and remediation as well as evaluation by a roofing contractor for correct ventilation was recommended.
Having read the article “Insulation R-Value”, the importance of inspecting and understanding the different aspects of insulation in a home is reinforced for the inspector. Knowing the differences is insulation materials as well as their respective R-values can only serve to provide more information to the client in the report. This is especially important if the inspector is providing a "Home Energy Score " as well.
In this part of the inspection I inspected the stairs which were in good condition no damage or cracks. The railing was installed correctly with correct spacing between the balisters. As you can see in the picture the tread depth is 10 inches which is good.the rise was 7 3/4 which is within code.there was also a proper landing at the bottom of the stairs and a light switch at both the bottom and top of the stairs
The living room on the west side of the home contains a 15 lite bow/bay window with 15 individual, double pane glass windows. Each one of the 15 panes has bad seals as evidenced by the “fog” between the glass panes. There is evidence of interior condensation around each window pane, likely occurring in warmer months. The homeowner should budget for replacement of this window in the future.
in this article called polyurethane spray foam insulation It talks about the two different types of insulation. closed cell which has an R value of about 7 to 8 per inch. The other type is an open cell which is more flexible It adjust well to the weather and is of lower cost. in conclusion spray foam insulation is good because it helps seal air gaps and helps make things water tight.
Emergency egress window wells are increasing in popularity in the Midwest. The window wells serve two primary objectives for the homeowner; they provide much more abundant light in the lower level living spaces and provide safer emergency egress. Proper care of the window wells is important to prevent excessive moisture and debris from damaging the home. Ground-level safety is also important. Is a good idea to take advantage of the many options to prevent animals and children from falling in to the window well.
The attic has blown in insulation that appears to be rock wool. It has an average depth of 15 inches which would give it an R-value of approximately 54. There are baffles at the edge of the roof deck stapled with fiberglass insulation them to continue the R value to the homes edge. The baffles are properly installed to allow necessary venting of the attic.
In the article about pull down ladders, I learned several things. The first is how dangerous they can be to the inspector. Many of them are installed by homeowners that don’t follow the proper instructions for both number and placement of fasteners, but also how they may often cut into framing and weakening the structure. I also learned how much heat is lost to many pull down ladders. The lack of insulation that is above the ladder creates a large area that allows cold air to penetrate the house thereby lowering the rest of the attic insulation value greatly.
This is a knotty alder entry door. It meets egress height at 96. However it doesnt meet egress width at only 30. The landing is of adequate size at 60 x 72. The threshold is 3 below the door so this is acceptable.
Stairways are responsible for many household accidents. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to being injured, but everyone is at risk. Stairways should be inspected for proper tread size and spacing, proper handrails, and risers are the same height.
During a recent inspection of a staircase leading to the upstairs bedrooms, I found there was a missing hand rail. While it could have very easily been missed because the lower half of the stair well was open and had a flat rail used as the hand rail. I noticed that the upper half was missing the actual hand rail and the only indicator was the screw hole from the removal were not repaired and still very visible. Remember to remain observant.
Condensation forms on many different surfaces, however two of the most common are windows and cooper pipes. While inspectors are looking for the most obvious sources there is other areas that may be the cause and should be looked into. Cold air from air conditioners turned too low and house plants next to the window can be a very good reason a particular window is wet from condensation. Always spend a little longer to find the cause, you will provide the client with a informed observation.
The hermetic seal on this large fixed double-pane window appears to have failed. We recommend repair or replacement by a licensed window contractor. Although, it is possible to repair this condition, we believe it would be in your best interest to get it replaced.
The photo is a crack in the ceiling of a manufactured home. The crack is cyclical. It runs perpendicular to the exterior wall up to the ridge of the home. It closes up late in the afternoon when the roof and attic are warmer and opens more late at night and early morning. The ceiling is a cathedral and does not have much space between the drywall and the roof. The ceiling was insulated when the roof was installed. The roof is white metal. I would suggest the homeowner contact a qualified structural engineer to determine the cause and suggested repairs.
Bathroom ventilation is an important component in the overall house inspection. A properly installed bathroom vent can expel odors and potentially damaging moisture. Warm and damp air can have negative effects such as water stains on the walls/ceilings, corrosion on metal items within the bathroom, mold, and peeling paint. None of these mention items were observed in the inspection except corrosion to the door hinges (the house uses a swamp cooler to cool the house in the summer months). The vent grill was observed to be very dirty as well as the inside workings of the fan assembly. Inspecting the attic area for the vent termination revealed that these was not proper vent termination. The termination was not observed. Venting must terminate outside the attic several inches above the roof line and never into the attic space. Warm moist air can damage structural components and mold can form under the correct conditions. Upon termination at the roof level a roof termination cap should be installed to keep out various contaminates. Vent pipe can be flexible, however, rigid venting kept as straight as possible is the best solution. Using a bathroom vent can cause a depressurization effect in the house. Air can be brought through the envelope at many different locations. Unwanted pollutants and moisture may inter into the home. This bathroom vent was operated by a fixture switch by the sink. A timer switch could be installed to cycle the exhaust fan or a humidistat may be installed as well. Recommend cleaning of the unit and a professional HVAC contractor be contacted concerning repair of improper termination of venting.
This essay is on the picture of the circular handgrip from the InterNACHI picture library. The picture is self explanatory concerning the dimensions of the component. The handgrip shall be a minimum round diameter of 1 1/4 inches up to a maximum round diameter of 2 inches. The graspable handgrip must be a unit that a person can grasp the entire length without having to twist the fingers or have without having to release at any point along the run. A constant and secure natural grip must be maintained for safety throughout the length of the handgrip. Stairways in homes can be a place of great bodily injury. Graspable handgrips may be designed in other shape without being round, nevertheless, certain codes will apply to these different styles.
